...Dani Park Kines 1 M 2:00pm – 4:50pm Critical Thinking Paper Obesity In America Obesity is one of the most commonly discussed issues in America today. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68.8 percent of adults are overweight and 35.7 percent are obese. Also, 31.8 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight and 16.9 percent are obese. Moreover, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn if Americans do not change their diet and living habits, 42 percent of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. The two main causes of obesity in America are due to diet and lifestyle. For example, fast food contains extremely high levels of fat, calories and carbohydrates that one's body doesn't need, and the lack of exercise only serves to compliment these reasons for becoming obese. However, the side effects of obesity go beyond just being overweight or having an increased risk for developing serious health conditions. Obesity in America is a crucial issue that has many causes and effects. The most significant reason that is primarily responsible for obesity is an unhealthy diet, because it fails to provide the correct amounts and types of nutrients for a healthy body's maintenance. Instead, it provides unhealthy fats and toxins that only serve to slow the body down. For example, fast food contains calories that may exceed the daily needs in just one meal, along with sodium, cholesterol, trans fats, sugars and other unhealthful...
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...America and Obesity Advanced Composition Devry University Justina Brown America and Obesity In the back of your mind, you might be thinking…how did your body change so quickly? It was like almost overnight. It starts with just being a little overweight to having to buy some more jeans. Facts announced by Dr. Neil Hutcher (2011) “Obesity is a disease that affects 34 percent of adults age 20 and over in the United States, which amounts to more than 72 million people. About 32.2 percent of American men and about 35.5 percent of American women are obese.” Gaining weight drastically is a good sign of obesity. For a person to be considered obese his or her body mass index has to be over 30 or weight is 20 percent or more above normal weight. Researched by the Control Disease Center (2010) mentioned that one-third of U.S adults are obese as of 2010 and rates remain high; “Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, about 2.4 million more adults were obese than in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part of the United States. In every state, more than 15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese.” There are many dangers to being obese because it may influence your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, age-related macular degeneration and breast cancer, and other types of cancer such as; prostate and colon cancer. Obesity is very common amongst Americans and has been for some...
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...Aakash Shah 10/15/12 Effects of Obesity While I am not obese, and I do not ever plan on it, I have a personal connection to obesity and the nature of the epidemic. I am an EMT for the Middlesex Area and I see many different things while on the job. Something that really hit home to me was how obesity was so widespread yet no one cared to turn his or her cheeks toward the issue. I have personally seen many different cases of obese people that struggle with the simplest tasks, including going to the bathroom, driving, walking their dogs. Essentially this epidemic lets people eat themselves into oblivion and depression leads to overeating and pleasure eating. My personal connection to this subject drives me to exemplify to society that this is a pressing issue and everything should be done to cap it and stop its progression. The United States of America today follows many different trends and patterns within its society. Societal trends have been evident through the history of the nation. A pattern that has revolutionized society today is the health craze. The sport of being fit is a priority and people are getting in shape better than ever. Commercials from athletic conglomerate corporations such as Nike, Reebok, and Adidas are marketing being fit with new gear, sneakers, and apparel to attract people to such products. But, there is an issue at large. A rising issue in the United States is obesity, which is cited to be a major health issue in recent decades but had grown to...
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...One of Americas biggest battles isn’t with another foreign county, but it is with obesity within our own youth. Over the last few century’s, as America moved from rural communities to urban environments, Americas youth has become more obese. Following closely behind Wales, America is the second fattest nation in the world. “Obesity and other closely related overweight conditions are the fifth leading cause of death worldwide” (Lobelo 1). The fattening of Americas youth is a terrifying epidemic that must change for the betterment of the country. Obesity is more than a health issue or of who to blame. More physical education in middle and high school is the answer to make a healthier generation that is less stressed and happier. Parents...
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...PHI - 001 Critical Thinking Professor Catherine Newman Obesity in America 3/14/2014 A lot has been said about the topic that I am choosing to write about. Obesity in America is a huge problem with not only adults but children as well. The Center for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) states that statistically speaking more than one-third of US adults (35.7%) is obese, for children the CDC states that 15.21% are obese. JAMA (2012) Many blame the recent development of technology i.e. video games, TV, and the media. Even our economy could be the one to blame, but we’ll dive into that later on. Throughout this paper I will be talking about the causes of obesity, the effects obesity has, and how can we prevent it. What causes obesity? Throughout the generations we have experienced a lot of changes in the world such as advancement of technology, medical sciences, etc. Many children now a days are learning how to get an infinite kill streak in Call of Duty, rather than learning how to play ultimate Frisbee, or 2 hand touch football. We also put a lot...
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...What causes obesity in America? Jason absolutely loved to eat food, and frequently, his meals consisted of twice the recommended serving size. He was overweight as a child, with his weight rapidly increasing as he aged. By the age of twenty-two, he had reached the point of obesity, which hindered most of his physical abilities and ruined his social life. He woke up for work every day, struggling to stand up from his bed. Exhausted and breathless, he garnered the strength to stand up and make his way to the bathroom. Getting dressed had become a time consuming mission, rather than a quick task. He often found it difficult to bend down to put on his socks and shoes, almost losing his balance at his every attempt. Jason realized he was miserable and alone, with food as his only friend. Eventually, heart disease would be a definite result of his decisions. The lifestyle he chose was a poor one, which would ultimately send him to an early grave. Over the past three decades, obesity in America has almost doubled, making it one of the leading causes of health problems preceding death. Obesity can be defined as a health problem where excessive amounts of fat accumulate on the body. When these fatty deposits build up in arteries, it puts strain on the heart. Chest pains are more prevalent and heart attacks then become a high possibility. Commonly, the self esteem lowers because of their belief that they do not meet society’s idea of beauty. These are just a few of the many possible effects...
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...------------------------------------------------- IS Obesity really an epidemic in America? Introduction; What is obesity? Obesity or being overweight is basically having to much body fat compared to muscle. It is unhealthy to carry extra body fat and therefore it is considered a major health risk, due to the health issues is can cause to individuals including children. Obesity has been on the rise in the past 20 years as lifestyles and eating habits have changed in the average American home. (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-definition/) It is measured by medical professionals by using the ratio of weight to height. This is called the BMI or body mass index. Thesis Statement Obesity has been considered by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) to have risen drastically in the past 20 years. People are eating less healthy foods in todays society, are living a fast paced lifestyle that gives little time for thought and effort towards healthy eating, and little time for excerssise. The modern American has tons of technology at the touch of finger that causes us to do less physical things. According to Havard Medical and the CDC obesity has been on the rise for many reasons over the past 20 years. The causes of obesity are different for different people according to age, race, sex, and genetics. But the most common reason is overeating. The body cannot take in more calories than it can burn, or it will be stored as fat the excess...
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...Obesity in America A single overweight person might not warrant much attention, but a nation whose population is increasingly obese is cause for concern. In the United States there is a small amount of children and teenagers that are looked at as overweight. Obesity is one of the high risk factors in America many children and teenagers is suffering from this issue. Doctors say that obesity causes diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. If some people understood the effects of obesity, they would probably try harder to lose weight and become healthy. Being obese comes with a lot of major health issues such as, diabetes which is the leading cause of early death. Most people that have diabetes have type 2 and is in some cases obese. Some other major health issues are CHD (Coronary Heart Disease), stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. If you are overweight you’re at an increased risk of having abnormal levels of blood fats. Secondly, what are the causes of this constantly increasing percentage of obese people? What is to be done about this and what organized steps should be taken to solve the problem? Just as there are ripples from a stone thrown into the water, there are far-reaching and unending effects resulting from obesity. From a psychological perspective, most obese people would prefer not to be overweight. Society today glorifies the thin, so if you are obese you do not fit in with acceptable modes of appearances. We know that children are often cruel about taunting...
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...Obesity in America Our nation’s obesity problem has become an extremely pronounced problem in our country. We were once known as a healthy country that knew the meaning of the word moderation, but that has quickly took a turn for the worst and is now almost obsolete. We always need to “supersize it” or get the biggest thing available on the menu. One of the largest contributors and causes to this ongoing epidemic is the fast food industry. With the low-cost easy to get foods many people would rather purchase that than making a quality meal at home. With these low cost fast food meals the quality directly suffers and you left with the sub par ingredients that you are putting into your body. These ingredients make your health suffer at incredible levels, which directly causes obesity. For example McDonald’s uses an ingredient (dimethylpolysiloxane) in the making of their Chicken McNuggets. This ingredient is the same one used in making silicone cosmetic products and also silly putty! (1) Americans are choosing to ingest these foods that puts their health at risk. As you know moderation is not something that Americans are necessarily good at. So when they go out to these fast food restaurants they usually order the largest meal they can, and even “supersize it” if the option is available. These fast food enterprises have realized that too and have started catering towards this “larger” demographic. In the past sixty years the soft drink portion has grown by more than six times...
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...Obesity is a real problem here in America. A problem that I can personally relate to due to my family’s history with this disease. How did we get here? It’s more complex than what I will show here in this essay, but I will give three main reason why the United States has such a struggle with weight and why more than 1/3 of our nation is facing obesity and 68% of Americans are overweight. The world as we know it today has become fast-paced and very competitive. The days of people working one job per family to make ends meet or to casually live, slowly developed into two people earning an income in a household just to survive. Sometimes it is the same person having more than one job. This fast-paced world and drive to stay competitive has exponentially pushed our society to levels of stress not seen in times past. It’s a common known fact that workplace stress is part of our everyday lives, but in today’s times where schedules of work and production is always under the microscope, it causes excessive stress and thus affects the physical health. Time is money, and so a person hits the ground running, starting the morning with several cups of Joe or the all too famous Red Bull or Monster that are loaded with sugar. If you are lucky, there is time to hit the drive thru and grab a #3 for the road. I remember as a kid growing up in rural Alabama where the life seemed to be like the Andy Griffin show. We sat down at the table with the family and enjoyed a nice healthy meal in the...
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...Obesity in America Julie Slomczenski In the United States today, obesity has become an enormous problem. In the last 3 decades, the number of people overweight has increased dramatically. A study done by the Centers of Disease Control showed that since 1980, one third of our adult population has become overweight. America is the richest but also the fattest nation in the world, and our obese backsides are the butt of jokes in every other country (Klein 28). The 1980s were a time when Americans suddenly started going crazy over dieting, jumping onto the treadmills, and buying prepackaged non-fat foods. However, while all of that was going on, the number of obese Americans began to increase. According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 58 million people in our country weigh over 20 percent of their body’s ideal weight. The article “Fat Times” states, “If this were about tuberculosis, it would be called an epidemic” (Elmer-Dewit 58). The eating habits of society have steadily become more harmful and have started to produce gluttonous children, over-indulgent adults, and a food industry set too much on satisfying our appetites. Obesity can begin at a very young age. Many children in our society are overweight, setting themselves up for serious health problems later in life. Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems are just some of the risks. Children who are overweight also tend to feel less secure, less...
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...Jovann Gulliver 10/21/11 ENGL107-1104A-20 Professor Slotemaker Unit 1 Individual Project Obesity In America Obesity has and will continue to affect the American people on a negative scale. Unless we change our prospective on how to fight this battle, we will continue to lose. There are many underlying factors that suggest that obesity is more defined than just a food lover’s disease. The main factors are one’s environment, one’s stress management, and one’s genetic makeup. Someone’s environment plays a very important factor on their lifestyle as well as the types of food they consume. For example, someone who lives on a farm tend to consume more natural foods than someone who lives in an urban environment and consume processed food. There is no secret to the fact that over-consumption of fast food can lead to obesity. Being surrounded by many choices of fast food, can lead someone to over indulge in it, which can lead to other health problems besides obesity. How someone choose to manage the day-to-day stress in their life, can determine their physical health. For instance, some people handle stress by exercising, painting, sewing, etc. while others handle stress by abusing drugs and/or food. Using food as an outlet to relieve stress will most definitely lead to obesity. When someone uses food to manage stress, often confess that this fix is only temporary and therefore overeating is usually the result. From personal experience, using a tub of vanilla ice cream to...
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...Research suggests obesity in America is an epidemic because of people’s diet, lifestyle, and genetic inheritance. Obesity is a chronic disease that can and will seriously affect one’s health. Health professionals agree that obesity has now reached epidemic status in our country. Over one third of American adults are obese. Obesity also affects children and is more prevalent now than in previous years. And the numbers are increasing. Diet and nutrition play a major role in the United States epidemic of obesity. Although it is very complex especially when Americans are sent mixed messages on what to eat and how much they should eat. On one hand, you have packaged processed food, bigger portions and fast food meals that are marketed as all American. The food is delicious and filling but fast and cheap. On the other hand, Americans spend almost twenty billion dollars every year on the newest weight loss fads, from weight loss drugs to books on the newest weight loss diet to weight loss surgeries like gastric bypass, lap-bands and Hollywood’s favorite, liposuction. Everyone is looking for everything fast. Fast-food, and fast weight loss options. We spend more time at work to pay for all the fast stuff in our lives instead of spending time at home and in our own kitchens cooking nutritious meals for our whole family like our parents did fifty years ago. (Overeaters Anonymous, 1980) This crazy relationship Americans have with food is easy to explain in terms of schemes in marketing...
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...all honesty, this is what I felt like eating in the short amount of time I had to grab a “lunch”. I thought it was pretty ironic that while I was reading about all these “unhealthy” food options, I was eating them. This obesity epidemic has carved its way so deep into our lives, there is possible room to improve, but it’s difficult to come up with some miracle solution to make it disappear. Kelley Brownell suggests that the legislature should get rid of food advertising especially ones pointed at children watching television and also eliminating soft drinks and unhealthy snacks from school vending machines (Newman, 2004). I do favor Kelly Brownell’s suggestions but it is obviously easier said than done. I understand that food advertising is something that children see often when watching television and it does often times persuade children to decide to get up and look for something to snack on. But what is the point of getting rid of these advertisements when they could already have it in their pantry? If we get rid of these foods at school, how would we know if the kids aren’t just going to go home and eat them? Both The ABC News “Obesity in America” clip and Taubes Reader’s Digest article both suggest that the major dietary enemy in childhood obesity is refined carbohydrates. Taubes suggests that pasta, bread and rice should be cut from our diet (Taubes, 2012). I do agree with him to a certain extent although, I don’t think these items should be absolutely cut from our...
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...Obesity in America Rochanda Robertson Kaplan University CM 220 Unit 6 Sean Froyd 5/22/2012 Americans are forgetting how important exercise and nutrition are needed in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. America has been plagued with “cheap eats,” or inexpensive food that is proving to me very, very unhealthy. Obesity is a very serious medical condition where excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on a person’s health. Obesity rates in the United Stated are increasing more and more each year, making the United States the country with the highest obesity rates. Everyone should know how dangerous it is to be overweight and/or obese but especially Americans. Americans need to know that there are ways to help fight against obesity. Becoming obese can cause major health problems and even result in death, therefore a change is needed starting with the government and ending with each and every individual because the fight against obesity has to be a joint effort. According to HealthDay (2011) most obese people don’t think that their weight puts them at risk for many health related problems. A study was conducted by researchers in Florida, they randomly selected 450 patients seen in the emergency department and asked them two questions: Do you believe your present weight is damaging to your health and has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that you are overweight? This proved to be a very good way...
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